Urochromes: Night Bully 7″ EP (Wharf Cat, 2017)

Searing, pulverizing industrial punk from Western Massachussetts. Most of their songs are around a minute or two each, but they pack in a few tempo change-ups and minor curveballs. It’s all high-velocity and compressed for maximum impact, but there’s still room here and there for slightly looser rhythms, particularly on opener “My Dickies.” Vocals are almost entirely shouted and covered in trippy echo. The B-side is more electronic, with synths pulsing through the clenched-teeth distorted vocals and snaking guitar of “Night Bully”. The EP ends with a remix of “Night Bully” by darkwave duo Boy Harsher, and it replaces most of the guitar noise with cold synths and gloomy vocals, and it sounds absolutely glorious.